RWBY: Rebellion
by deathbybunny
Summary: Their graduation from Beacon had been a literal trial by fire as the forces of darkness descended upon the unsuspecting students of Beacon Academy. There was nothing left of the once proud school. In its place were mere ruins of a lost battle. Of a rebellion that took the world by storm. RubyxWeiss YangxBlake
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** Yes, I know. What am I doing? Writing another RWBY story? I must be crazy. Anyway, this idea randomly popped into my head while listening to the RWBY soundtrack. I happened to be listening to "I Burn" and that prompted me to go back and watch the Yellow Trailer. After watching it a few times, this idea started to form. I know the picture that Yang showed Junior wasn't Blake but I thought "What if it was? What if Yang's trailer takes place after they graduated Beacon? What if, for some reason, they weren't a team anymore?"

Then I wrote this chapter. It's just a prologue but I plan to make the next chapter a lot longer to explain how they came to be in this situation. I'll also be throwing in bits and pieces of their happier times at Beacon to offset the somewhat more serious story. So, yeah. Enjoy.

RWBY: Rebellion

Chapter 1 Just the Beginning…..

* * *

An explosion rocked the night. It wasn't uncommon for there to be a commotion in this particular area of town, but even an explosion was going a little too far for the citizens living in the neighborhood. It wouldn't be long before authorities swarmed the area in search of the one responsible. Yang though, wasn't worried about being caught. Her investigation was done, even if it did lead her to another dead end. She was at least able to discover something that could potentially be helpful. Yang landed with a grunt after having smashed her opponent through the second floor window. Junior lay at her feet completely unconscious. He deserved what he got and more for even daring to touch her golden locks.

"Yang?"

The blonde looked towards the voice, her eyes widened in surprise. She certainly hadn't expected to run into her in such a place.

"Ruby?"

"What are you doing here?"

Yang looked back at the building she'd just destroyed and at the man lying at her feet. She sighed.

"It's a long story."

"I've got time."

The blonde grinned.

"As long as you're buying."

"Then shall we head to the usual place?"

"Sounds good to me. The service here was terrible anyway." Yang kicked Junior one last time before walking towards Ruby. "It's good to see you again sis."

Ruby smiled slightly. "It's good to see you to."

The two walked to Yang's bike. They could already hear the sirens getting closer to them, but they paid them no mind. Yang and Ruby were no longer the teenagers who'd once attended Beacon. The school itself was merely a memory for many at this point. It was hard to believe that it'd almost been five years since they "graduated".

**xxx**

"Ruby! You're going to hurt yourself!"

"I'm fine. Ouch!"

"See? You should have listened to me!" Despite Weiss's words, she hovered over Ruby, holding onto the hand she'd cut. She pulled the younger girl to the sink to clean the minor wound. It wasn't bleeding too badly but Weiss preferred to take care of it right away.

Yang shook her head at the two. It was always entertaining watching Weiss and her sister interact mainly due to the fact that they were new to the whole dating thing. The two were taking their relationship slowly; too slowly in Yang's opinion. She wasn't even sure they were past the hand holding stage. Still, she couldn't complain. The two were good for each other. It helped them grow. Weiss had loosened up a bit more and wasn't the unpleasant person Yang had thought her to be. She could still be far too serious about things such as school work but someone on the team had to be. Ruby was still their fearless leader that rushed into battle, but she surprised many with her tactical knowledge. The younger girl had earned the respect of many by getting them and other teams out of seemingly unwinnable situations. This was especially true during the Vytal Festival. It was shortly after that that Ruby threw caution to the wind and asked Weiss out. Of course she failed to account for the fact that she asked in front of everyone at the closing ceremonies much to the embarrassment of Weiss. The girl did say yes eventually but she made Ruby suffer a week before giving her reply.

Yang turned to look at the other member of their team. Blake too had changed since they became a team. The ever quiet ninja, wasn't as quiet as she used to be. She talked more with the team even if she sometimes still preferred to read her books. At least now she kept herself around them as opposed to disappearing on her own. She and Yang had an interesting relationship to say the least. This was mainly due to the fact that they didn't give their relationship any sort of title. They flirted with each other and on more than one occasion Yang, was able to take it farther than just innocent kissing, but Blake didn't hold back either. They never dissuaded each other's advances and they never pushed for their situation to be defined. They were both fine with this cat and mouse game they had going. As for Yang, she couldn't tell whether much had changed about her but according to Ruby, she had. Something about being more wise and mature. She couldn't see it, but it was usually easier to see changes in others as opposed to ones self.

"Let's take a break." Blake suggested as Weiss left the kitchen to get a band aid.

"Probably a good idea." Yang agreed. "Wouldn't want my sister to chop off a finger."

"I'm not that bad."

"Your little accident begs to differ." Yang teased. "You could say you're cutting it close."

"Yang…." Blake and Ruby groaned. Yang may be a bit more mature now, but the puns were something that was probably there to stay.

"I wish I knew how you came up with those horrible puns." Weiss walked back into the kitchen with a band aid in hand.

"It's all talent." Yang boasted.

"Anyway, maybe Ruby shouldn't be in charge of cutting the fondant." Blake said hoping to get their project moving along.

The four were borrowing the schools kitchen in order to bake a birthday cake for Pyrrha. Jaune had practically begged them for their help after he, Ren, and Nora tried, but failed. Somehow, the cake they made exploded in their faces shortly after taking it out of the oven. Team RWBY was convinced it had to be something Nora put in the cake mix. The four girls agreed after Blake had unexpectedly revealed she knew how to bake a cake. Blake though insisted that baking the cake was easy as long as the instructions on the box were followed.

"But I'm good with sharp objects!"

"If they're in the shape of a scythe." Blake handed Ruby a butter knife and a bowl of icing. "How about you ice the cake with Weiss?"

"Fine." Ruby sounded a bit disappointed at being kicked off her initial job, but she brightened up almost immediately. "Weiss! Let's ice the cake!"

Weiss shook her head but Yang saw her smile just a tiny bit as she went over to stop Ruby from dumping the entire bowl of icing on the cake.

"So what do I get to do?" Yang sat herself across from Blake who'd begun cutting the fondant into different shapes.

Yang had been in charge of making the fondant from scratch which sounded hard, but it was surprisingly easy. Who knew marshmallows made great fondant? It had required a bit of muscle on her part once the marshmallows were becoming less mushy and more solid but she figured that's why she'd been asked to make it. She did have the strength for it after all.

"I don't think I have anything left for you to do."

"So you just wanted me for my muscles." Yang flexed one of her arms to show her point.

"I didn't hear you complain."

"That's cause someone was enjoying the show. I didn't want to disappoint my audience."

Blake smiled that secretive smile that Yang loved. It seemed like they would be playing their usual game today. Too bad Ruby and Weiss were also in the room. Things could be a lot more R-rated if they weren't. She'd show restraint though just so she wouldn't scar her little sister.

"You sure you don't need help with that?" Yang pointed at the other pieces of fondant that had yet to be used.

"Shaping fondant requires a certain kind of… finesse." Blake said knowing well that Yang would take the bait.

"Are you saying I don't have any finesse?"

"I'm just making an observation." Blake continued her work. She took a ball of fondant and began shaping it into a flower.

Yang, however, wasn't going to just let Blake have the last word. Hoping off her seat, Yang walked around the counter. Standing directly behind Blake, Yang closed the distance between them, pushing their bodies close as she covered Blake's hands with her own. It was moments like these that the blonde was glad she was the tallest on the team. Yang took the fondant out of Blake's hands and continued shaping it into a rose.

"What are you doing?" Blake asked but didn't do much of anything else.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Yang leaned further into Blake, pushing the dark haired girl against the counter. "I'm helping."

Blake felt Yang's breathe against her ear. She silently cursed her partner. Being a Faunus had its advantages but sometimes she wished she could tone down her senses. At the moment, Yang's scent completely overwhelmed her, making her wish they were alone in the kitchen so they could do far less innocent things to each other.

"You're not playing fair."

Yang chuckled. She held up her perfectly shaped rose to Blake.

"All's fair in love and war kitty cat." Yang nuzzled against Blake's neck. Blake arched her neck in order to give Yang better access. The blonde happily accepted the offer and began placing kisses along her neck.

"Yang! Blake! You're doing it again!" Weiss shriek from the other end of the counter.

The two stopped their flirting to look over at the other duo. Weiss stood behind Ruby, covering her eyes. Weiss herself had turned as red as Ruby's cloak.

"Weiss! I can't see!" Ruby flailed around.

"It's better that you don't!"

"But I need tips!"

"Tips? Tips for what!" Weiss sounded less than pleased that Ruby was trying to learn flirting habits from Yang and Blake.

Ruby stopped flailing and instead settled for tapping her index fingers together.

"I want to be romantic with you too…." Ruby trailed off.

If possible, Weiss turned even redder. She removed her hands from Ruby's eyes and instead used the hood from Ruby's cloak to obstruct Ruby's vision.

"Ack! W-Weiss!" Ruby began to flail around again.

"You idiot…" Weiss let go of the hood and turned away from Ruby. "You're romantic enough already."

Ruby peeked out from under her hood and smiled at Weiss. The four eventually stopped fooling around long enough to finished decorating the cake in time for Pyrrah's surprise birthday party.

**xxx**

"Ruby!" Nora waved from the bar. "You're back!"

Ruby and Yang walked through the entrance of a little bar called The Cabin. Ruby soon found herself being twirled around by the exuberant girl.

"Why didn't you tell us Yang?" Jaune and the rest of his team walked up to the two girls.

"I just found out too. It was a nice surprise after my job."

The six picked a booth in the corner of the nearly deserted bar so they could talk privately.

"So Junior didn't have any info after all." Ren took a sip of his drink. "It's a shame."

"And here I though he knew everything." Nora sighed. "I'll break the legs of the guys who told me that."

"It wasn't a complete loss." Yang pulled out her phone and slid over to Team JNPR. "I caught a glimpse of him talking with Junior just before I blew up the place."

"So that was you." Pyrrha picked up the phone and looked at the man on the screen. "I thought you were going to be subtle about this."

"I may have lost my cool after he ruined my hair."

"Did you beat him good?" Nora asked.

Yang grinned. "I sent him flying from the second story window."

"Nice."

"Don't encourage her Nora." Ren sighed. "We do need to report this to Ozpin though. Roman might be looking for something or someone if he went to Junior for intel."

"They could also be working together. It's not farfetched to think Junior is letting Roman use his club for illegal activities." Yang crossed her arms over her chest. "Either way, I doubt Junior is going to be going to jail so we'll have more opportunities to find out what Roman wanted with him."

"Until then you might want to lay low." Ruby suggested. "He knows what you look like. He'll definitely try to find you after what you did to him."

"Don't worry." Yang waved off her concern. "With the beating I gave him I doubt he'll want to see me again. Too bad I'll probably be paying a visit to him again sometime in the future."

"Ozpin will probably send someone else for that. Preferably someone who doesn't blow up buildings."

"Are you talking about Nora?" Yang grinned. "I distinctly remember her blowing up a few in the past."

The group laughed. Nora had indeed brought down a few buildings but in her defense, the bad guys had already set the building to detonate. They _really_ didn't want what they were stashing to be discovered.

"So, how was your trip Ruby?" Jaune asked after their laughter died down.

"Not bad. I ran into some Beowolves on my way back. Nothing I couldn't handle, but these one were different." Ruby frowned remembering the fight.

"Different how?" Pyrrha handed Yang back her phone.

"Well, you know how they have that bone helmets and stuff?"

"Yeah."

"Well these didn't have any, but they weren't any weaker. In fact, I think they were just as strong."

"Could it be a new type of Beowolf? That seems almost impossible." Ren began talking to himself of the possibility of such a thing.

"You should probably report that to Peter. He'd be interested in the possibility of a new type of Grimm appearing." Pyrrha advised.

Ruby sighed. "It seems like things are always getting worse out there huh?"

A silence befell the table.

"But that means things can only get better from here on out." Nora spoke up. The group looked at her. "Once you hit the bottom, there's nowhere else to go but up right?

Yang had to smile. Nora could say some pretty insightful things sometimes. She was right. They couldn't let themselves be discouraged.

"Nora's right! After all we've been through; we definitely have only good things to look forward to. We can't give up now because of few setbacks."

"So let's drink ourselves to oblivion!" Nora cheered.

"Bartender! A round a drinks for us!" Yang called over to the man running the bar.

The man nodded and began making drinks for the hunters and huntresses that frequented his bar. Their shots soon arrived at the table. They all held up their drinks.

"What are we drinking to?" Jaune questioned.

"How about to the future?" Pyrrha suggested.

"To the future!" Yang announced.

"To Yang's hair!" Nora blurted.

"To my gorgeous hair!" Yang reiterated.

Ruby surprised everyone by stand up, drink still in her hand; she held it out above everyone else.

"To the two, who are not here with us, but… I'm sure they wish they were."

For a moment, Ruby looked a lot older than she actually was. In her short life, she'd been through so much already. Losing her family at such a young age, she knew well the sorrow of being alone. She thought she'd be alone forever but then she was taken in by Qrow. Thanks to him, he gave Ruby another family and Yang became another important person in her life. Then she found someone to love. It'd caught her by surprise but it had been the happiest she'd been. Together with that person, she felt like she could take on the world and win. Reality was a bitch though and shattered Ruby's world.

Yang stood up beside her sister. Sorrow also, filled her eyes.

"To Weiss and Blake, where ever they may be…."

Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora stood up alongside them.

"To Weiss and Blake!"

Glasses clinked and they downed the liquid. No matter how many times they drank, straight alcohol was still pretty strong, but sometimes it helped. There were memories that would forever haunt them and nothing they did they did would change that. It was those memories though, that kept them going. It gave them something to fight for. The event of five years ago changed a lot of things for them and the world at large. Their graduation from Beacon had been a literal trial by fire as the forces of darkness descended upon the unsuspecting students of Beacon Academy. There was nothing left of the once proud school. In its place were mere ruins of a lost battle.

Of a rebellion that took the world by storm.

**AN:** That's the end for now. Let me know what you guys think.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** I've been working on this chapter pretty much all month. It kept getting longer and longer but I eventually got it done. I still kind of feel the reasons Blake and Weiss aren't around anymore are cliché, but hey what the hell. This show is full of clichés but that doesn't mean it's bad. Alright enough about that. Enjoy.

Edit: Forgot to mention. This deviates from canon. The last two episodes basically didn't happen in my story.

RWBY: Rebellion

Chapter 2: Nightmares

* * *

"Ugh, is it just me or are they giving us more homework?" Ruby groaned.

"It's just you." Weiss answered without missing a beat.

Ruby looked over the edge of her bed to her girlfriend. Weiss was sitting at the edge of her bed polishing Myrtenaster. Unlike Ruby, Weiss was caught up on all her homework.

"B-But Weiss! I have four reports to finish! FOUR! And they all have to be five pages long!"

Weiss looked up at Ruby with little sympathy.

"Well if a certain someone had listened to me instead of going off with Yang into town every day this week this wouldn't be a problem."

Ruby whimpered. Weiss was being particularly cold to her; however there was no denying the truth in her words. She and Yang had been taking frequent trips into town but that was only so she could find the perfect anniversary present for her. Because of her endless search though, she'd spent very little time with her girlfriend. It was hard shopping for someone who could buy anything they wanted with a snap of their fingers. Of course she couldn't outright tell her that. She would have to endure Weiss's cold attitude for the meantime.

"Aww, come on Weiss, don't be so hard on her." Yang stopped doing her work in order to help her sister out a bit. Even if she was only helping at Ruby's request, she still felt a bit responsible.

"You be quiet. This is just as much your fault for being an enabler."

"You're just cranky cause you haven't gotten any this week. Don't worry; I don't plan to steal Ruby away for the weekend so she's all yours."

"Y-You!" Weiss was so mad she thought she'd pop a blood vessel sooner rather than later. No one could get under her skin as much as Yang. Weiss took a deep breathe. Heiresses did not stutter or lose their cool. "I would appreciate it if you wouldn't be so vulgar in front of our teammates."

Yang looked to Ruby who was fidgeting uncomfortably. Ruby motioned for Yang to shut up. She didn't doubt her sister would say something that would further anger Weiss. Ruby would appreciate it if her sister didn't make her life difficult. It wasn't like Yang had to do the damage control. The wicked grin that made its way to Yang's face though let Ruby know she'd be doing a lot of damage control after this. Yang hopped down from her bunk and took a seat on Blake's bed directly across from Weiss. Blake, who'd been silent up until this point, briefly glanced at the blonde before going back to her book. She had a feeling her peaceful reading time was about to be ruined.

"Please, it's not like the rest of us don't know what you two do when you think no one is here."

It took a long moment for Yang's words to sink in.

"What!?" Ruby hoped down to her sister and shook her with all her might. "What do you mean! You saw! Oh god! You watched!"

Weiss was thankful that Ruby was freaking out as much as she was because she certainly couldn't bring herself to do such a thing. Setting Myrtenaster aside, she glared as venomously as possible at her girlfriend's sister.

"I knew you were a fiend Yang Xiao Long, but even I didn't expect this of you. And then to gossip to Blake about it… I have no words."

"Hey!" Yang took hold or Ruby's arms to stop all the shaking. "I did not gossip to Blake about it! She was right there with me!"

All eyes turned to the silent girl. The book in her hands was visibly shaking possibly from anger.

"Yang…" she placed her book beside her. "We should run."

The blonde didn't even ask why. Reacting quickly, Yang practically threw Ruby at Weiss in order to give them a head start. Ruby and Weiss untangled themselves from each other and took off after their teammates.

"I regret nothing!" Yang yelled back.

"You should!" Blake jumped out of a window. Yang followed. "Having even the slightest bit of shame will help you in life."

"You weren't complaining about my lack of shame last night." Yang grinned lecherously.

Blake had the good graces to blush. There had definitely been no complaining about such things.

"What am I going to do with you?" Blake smiled despite this.

"You'd be bored out of your mind without me Belladonna!" Yang grinned.

Yang and Blake led their two teammates into the forest that surrounded the school. They hoped the two girls would give up their chase but they were proving to be quite tenacious. Eventually, Blake, tired from running all day, decided to take a gamble. It would require her to betray Yang but they might both come out of this if it worked. Using her ribbon, she restrained the blonde before taking them to a safe location from where she could conduct her negotiations.

"I propose a truce!" She yelled out from high above the tree tops. She was thankful that they ran into a part of the forest that was dark enough that she could hide up high.

"No! You shall both pay." Weiss was not in the mood to negotiate anything.

"Maybe we should listen?"

Blake was grateful to hear that from Ruby. Weiss was the one calling the shots at the moment, but if there was one thing that could be considered Weiss's weakness it that was their young leader. She trusted Ruby to pull through for them.

"You want to forgive your sister and her partner for their transgressions against us?"

"Well, Yang is probably guilty, but I'm willing to give Blake the benefit of the doubt."

Weiss had to admit that Ruby had a point. Yang was usually the one who instigated mischief. Blake ended up going along for the ride much like she did with Ruby on a few occasions. Really, there was no saying no to the sisters sometimes. Sighing, she put Myrtenaster away.

"Very well. You may speak."

"What Yang said was only practically true. We heard… things. Neither of us ever saw anything. I made sure to take Yang away before she could interrupt anything."

"Yaaaang!" Ruby whined. "You had me scared for a second! Why would you even imply that you watched me give Weiss a foot massage?"

"Wait, what?" Blake and Weiss both asked surprised. Clearly they both had been thinking different things from Ruby.

Blake jumped down from the trees with a tied up Yang. She released her partner who wasted no time in embarrassing everyone.

"Foot massage! You mean you weren't sexing her up?"

"Yang!" Blake and Weiss yelled.

"What? No!" Ruby turned red.

Although still a bit miffed, Weiss was just glad that Yang only though she heard something inappropriate. There was no need for her to actually know what she and Ruby did when they were alone.

"Man, how disappointing. I thought you were finally using what I taught you."

"Taught?" Weiss said through gritted teeth. "You taught her to… to…"

Weiss couldn't even bring herself to say what it was that Ruby knew how to do so well because it was probably something Yang taught her to do. The thought alone was horrifying.

"Well yeah, who else was gonna teach her about the birds and the bees? Or should I say the birds and the Schnees?"

Yang had never run so fast in her entire life. She was banned from the room for a month. Her punishment only lasted a week though since Ruby intervened on her behalf. Their young leader assured Weiss repeatedly that the only thing Yang had taught her was how to give a killer massage and maybe given her reading material that left her incredibly embarrassed. They hoped this would teach Yang a lesson in general, but it didn't.

**xxx**

Blake knew he'd been there all day, in the shadows silently watching. She was grateful that she was able to leave the room without any of her teammates questioning or wanting to tag along. A miracle really considering Yang liked to go with her almost everywhere on the off chance she could coax Blake into a broom closet. The blonde though was trying to catch up on work that she'd procrastinated along with Ruby. The two were going into town again even after Weiss reminded them about what happened the last time. It seemed that whatever they were up to was important enough that Weiss's scolding didn't dissuade them. Blake walked carefully into the woods following a lingering sent. Her visitor was on the move, more than likely trying to find a place for them to meet. She was expecting to be led to a dark corner of the forest, but was shocked to see him just standing in the middle of an open field.

"Blake."

"Adam."

Blake stopped a few feet away from him, trying to assess her situation. As far as she'd been able to tell he was alone. If that was truly the case, she felt she could at least hold her own against Adam in a one on one fight.

"It's been a long time."

"It has. So why are you here?"

"Straight to the point."

"I don't have time to dawdle."

"I'm here to ask you to come back."

"No." Blake turned and was prepared to return to Beacon but Adam wasn't done. As quickly as he could he closed the distance between them to grab her arm. Fearing he would try to take her by force, Blake wasted no time in defending herself. Adam was forced to jump back as Gambol Shroud came inches from his face.

Reacting quickly, he drew his own weapon in defense. Despite Blake's assault on him, he did not once retaliate. His actions only confused Blake further. What was his game? He was strong; she couldn't deny that, so why was he not fighting back?

"I will not return to the White Fang!"

Blake transformed Gambol Shroud into its pistol form, taking aim at Adams head.

"I did not come here to fight you!" Adam dropped his stance and lowered his sword to the ground. "Just please, hear me out before you decide I'm not worth your time."

Blake did not lower Gambol Shroud. This certainly was not what she expected out of Adam. Still, she couldn't be careless. There was still a chance this could be some kind of trick.

"Speak."

"As I stated, I'm asking you to return, but not to the White Fang."

"Then to where?" This was certainly taking an unexpected turn.

"We don't have a name yet, but we need all the help we can get." Adam sat down on the grass. Blake chose to remain standing. "The Faunus gained freedom of sorts but it wasn't because the humans truly believed we deserved it. They gave it to us out of fear and that fear keeps them from treating us as anything other than animals. So long as they continue to fear us, the Faunus will never truly be accepted as equals in this world. The leaders though do not care about this fact and continue to function under the assumption that all humans must be eradicated in order for us to live peacefully. Their way of thinking is wrong. _My_ way of thinking was wrong."

"What brought on this change?"

Hearing these things out of Adam's mouth was almost unbelievable. Naturally she was skeptical about this supposed change. It was hard to forget the person she'd left on that train.

"A lot of soul searching, but it didn't hurt that I met _her_."

"And who is this person?"

"Our leader. She helped me see the error in not just my way but the White Fang's as well. The leaders though have not listened and will not listen, but not everyone thinks like them. There are others who wish to change the White Fang to what it used to be, but we are few in number. That's why I'm here."

Adam stood up to face Blake properly. The Faunus girl lowered Gambol Shroud. She wouldn't need it.

"We need you Blake. Things need to change but we can't hope for that unless we first remove the current leaders. Once we achieve that we can truly begin a Civil Rights movement, one that won't use fear and violence. We'll do it the right way this time."

"Adam….I don't…"

"You've made quite a life here for yourself." He interrupted. "I understand your hesitation."

Adam bent down to pick up his sword and adjusted it against his hip.

"You don't need to give me an answer right now. I'll be in town for three more days; however, if you decide to join us I'll be waiting in Forever Fall along with anyone else I can recruit." He held out his hand. Blake hesitantly took it. "Whatever you choose, I'm glad I got to see you again."

"I'm glad," Blake took a shaky breathe. "That you found your path again."

With one last smile, Adam pulled away and disappeared into the forest. Blake just stood there. Was this really real? Could things finally change? Blake recalled when she'd joined White Fang. She was a child. Barely even old enough to go to school, much less be out protesting the inequality of her people. She was there though; right at the front with her picket sign and tiny voice trying to make herself heard. That didn't last though. New leaders took over and their once peaceful organization turned to violence and fear to make the humans take them seriously. The worst part was that it worked. With their new methods they were finally being taken seriously, but...

Blake looked down at her hands.

The Faunus had gained some rights, but at what cost? Her hands were stained with blood of others; humans that got stuck in the crossfire of their struggle. Adam had always insisted that all humans were guilty of their treatment, especially those who just stood by and watched them get hurt. It wasn't how she'd wanted things to work out. She went along with it because she thought she was helping. The guilt of having those lives on her hands though was too much to bear. She couldn't continue as she was if the organization was not going to change. That's why she left. She hoped to find a new way to do things; a better way to help the Faunus. The darkening skies made her aware of just how late it was getting. If she didn't return soon, Yang would surely run around, screaming her name at the top of her lungs, until she found her wayward partner.

"Blake!"

Speak of the devil. A blonde blur suddenly barreled onto the field. She came to a stop upon seeing her target. She smiled as she jogged the remainder of the way to Blake.

"There you are! I was getting worried." Yang looked around them. "What're you doing out here anyway?"

"Just talking a stroll." Blake answered as she took Yang's hand in her own. "It's dinner time isn't it?"

"Yeah! I didn't want you to miss it."

A ghost of a smile graced her lips.

"Thank you Yang."

"You're welcome?" Yang was unsure why she was being thanked, but she'd take it. The blonde looked down at their joined hands and squeezed her partner's hand. Blake felt a tug at her heart. She realized in that moment, that she'd already decided what she was going to do.

**xxx**

Yang was frowning which wasn't a good sign. Ruby noticed her sister's behavior had taken a sour turn within the last few days. She couldn't figure out why. It just sort of happened.

"Are you okay Yang?"

Yang's frown deepened. Ruby took that as a no.

"What's wrong?" Ruby took a seat next to Yang, who sat on the floor of their dorm.

"Blake." Was her one word answer.

That was a surprise. Ruby couldn't think of a time when Yang and Blake ever had a problem. Small arguments sure, who didn't? Unlike her and Weiss's rough start, Yang and Blake seemed to just click in more ways than one. All their flirting was enough to make anyone think they were dating.

"Are you guys fighting?"

"No, but…" Yang chewed her bottom lip. "Something's going on with her. I don't know what though."

"Have you tried talking to her?"

"No…"

"You should probably start there." Ruby looked at her sister with a small grin. "You know, it's not like you to hesitate like this. What's up?"

"Nothing."

"Hmm, what's this?" Ruby poked her sister's cheek. It wasn't often Ruby got to be the one to do the teasing. It was a rare opportunity she wasn't about to waste. "Are you being shy?"

Yang smacked Ruby's hand away.

"What? Me? Shy? Sister please."

"Seems to me that's exactly how you're acting. Shy."

"Am not!"

"Shy! Shy! Shy!" Ruby sang around the room.

"That's it! Come here you!"

Ruby laughed as Yang chased her around their room. Yang eventually got a hold of the smaller girl and pinned her down to Weiss's bed intent on tickling her to death. The two didn't even notice when Weiss and Blake returned to the room.

"Yang Xiao Long!"

Yang and Ruby froze in their place. Weiss really knew how to scare people.

"I knew you were a fiend but to attack your sister in such a manner… and in my bed no less!"

Ruby shoved Yang to the floor.

"Weiss! It's not like that!"

"Oww," Yang rubbed her back from her awkward fall. "Geez, princess, you call me a fiend but you're the one getting these weird incest ideas."

"I…you…" Weiss was so red in the face everyone was sure they'd start seeing steam come out of her ears.

Ruby decided it was time to intervene once again and run some damage control. She was glad that she had so much practice sating Weiss's anger. The younger girl grabbed Yang by the scruff of her shirt. Predictably, Yang protested but didn't really struggle all that hard. Ruby then lightly pushed Blake out of the room along with Yang.

"You two, go take a walk. Be back in half an hour for bed time."

"Why?" Yang had a feeling she was being set up by her little sister.

"I need to calm the princess unless you want to be banned from this room again."

Yang shivered thinking about that god awful week of being out of Team RWBY's dorm. She had to seek shelter with Team JNPR and let's just say she found out things about them she preferred to have never known. She only lasted a night before she decided to just camp out in the woods. She'd take her chances out in the Grimm invested forest than spending another night in Team Horny's dorm. Blake came out one night to keep her company which was sweet but Yang didn't want her teammate to suffer along with her. She made Blake go back to the comfort of their dorm. After that, Ruby was very kind to get her sentenced reduced.

"What do we do now?" Blake asked.

Yang thought for a second. Ruby gave her this opportunity to find out what was wrong with Blake. She couldn't waste this chace.

"Well Ruby said to take a walk so let's go!" Yang took Blake's hand into her own. She pulled her along the hallways until they were out in the gardens. It was a clear night out; almost magical if you wanted to get sappy about it. The two just strolled around, hand in hand, enjoying the calm night.

"Hey Blake?"

"Hmm?"

Yang stopped walking. Turning to the girl beside her, she studied her partner for a moment. She'd been Blake's partner for almost three years now. Soon they'd be going onto their final year before officially becoming huntresses. Through all their trials and tribulations, Yang could truly say she trusted Blake with her life, but for trusting her with something so important, she knew next to nothing about her. Sure she knew Blake liked to read, loved tuna, and didn't particularly like water for some reason, but those were things anyone could find out just by observing. Yang didn't know anything about Blake personally. Not a damn thing. Where did she come from? Did she have family? What were her dreams? Her aspirations? This girl, whom she'd come to care for, a lot. So much that she was having a harder and harder time keeping their relationship as it was. It gnawed at her until all she could do was sit and sulk about it. It never would've occurred to her that she'd be so afraid to take that next step with Blake. Her. Yang Xiao Long was afraid to jump into something. Who would've thought?

"You know you can tell me anything right?" Yang began.

Blake tilted her head slightly to the side.

"Of course I know that."

"Then why won't you tell me what's wrong?"

Blake's eyes widen only a fraction, but Yang saw it. She was slightly pleased that her assumptions had been right. Something was bothering her dark haired partner and she was going to find out what it was.

"Nothing's wrong."

"You're lying."

Blake took a step back but that only made Yang take a step closer. Belatedly, Blake realized that Yang was still holding her hand. Rather firmly. There was no way she could run.

"Yang…"

"If something is wrong, I can help. All you have to do is ask. I-I'd never say no to you." Yang chided herself for stuttering. Now was not the time for her to be getting nervous.

A sudden realization hits Blake like one of Yang's punches. This may be her last chance to say good-bye to her fiery partner. Since they became a team, Yang has made it her mission to get her come out of her shell. Even when Blake tried to push her away, Yang wouldn't give up on her.

Yang didn't know her deepest darkest secrets; none of her teammates did, but for a moment she felt like she could spill her heart out and the blonde would fully accept her no matter what. But she couldn't. What she was about to do was something she did not want to involve her in. Yang didn't need to get mixed up in the problems of the Faunus. She didn't need to know that she'd been hiding her true identity from everyone all this time. All Yang needed to know was that she cared about her. That she loved the person standing before her so much that it hurt to know she'd be betraying her in this way. Yes, she loved Yang. Despite their silent agreement to keep their relationship just for fun, it'd become increasingly harder to keep it just that. The emotional attachment she felt towards the blonde had been unexpected and unwelcomed. Getting attached meant getting hurt. She didn't need that, yet she couldn't stop it. The feelings grew and she no longer knew whether to fight it or drown in it.

Yang began to grow worried when Blake seemed to just shut down. She was afraid this would happen but Yang wasn't going to give up. She was about speak when Blake surprised her by pulling her into a kiss. Yang was completely taken aback. Blake wasn't usually the aggressor but it wasn't an unwelcomed surprise. Yang pulled Blake closer to her. Somehow, this felt different. Unlike many of their other lust filled kisses, this one poured with something else. Something Yang was almost afraid to label as love.

"_No! Now's not the time!"_

Yang tried to push Blake away but the dark haired girl wasn't having any of it. Blake took a hold of Yang's arms, keeping them at the blonde's side. Before Yang knew it, she was suddenly falling backwards. She landed with a grunt on the cool grass. Blake straddled her, arms still pinned to her sides.

"B-Blake?"

This wasn't quite how she'd pictured their conversation to go. Normally she wouldn't complain about the places they ended up having a quickie in, but something was telling her this wasn't right.

"I love you."

All logical thought proceeded to exit Yang's mind. Those three words changed everything. Yang made an attempt to answer back, but Blake was taking all the control in their interactions on this night. She quickly claimed the blonde's lips, silencing whatever she was about to say. Yang vaguely recalled Blake letting go of her arms. She barely remembered sitting up from the ground. All of her existence became centered on the pair of lips moving desperately against hers.

She didn't know how long they were there with Blake sitting in her lap, just kissing. A first considering they were both quick with removing clothing when things got to this point. It'd felt like time had stopped for them, but the moment couldn't last forever. One of them pulled away eventually. Yang couldn't tell you who. Her mind was just a haze of fuzzy feelings. She'd never felt like this before. Not even after the times they'd fooled around.

"Time's up." Blake whispered.

Yang could only nod in response.

Smiling slightly, Blake led them back to their dorm. True to her word, Ruby had calmed down Weiss enough to not earn Yang another ban. Ruby noticed the goofy smile on her sister's face. She questioned Blake about it but Blake simply smiled mysteriously. Ruby though put two and two together. She could be sharp when she wanted to.

"Riiiight. I'm sure _you_ didn't fry her brain or anything." Ruby winked at Blake.

"…"

"Don't worry. I'm happy for you two."

"Yes, yes, we're all so happy. Maybe this will give Yang someone else to torment." Weiss refused to look at the two girls, but she was genuinely happy for them. It was about time.

"I wouldn't count on that princess." Yang snapped out of her daze. "I believe in equality for all."

Blake watched as Yang continued to embarrass Weiss with Ruby trying to keep her girlfriend from throttling her sister. It's a scene Blake knows will be burned in her memory; a happy time to hold dear when things got difficult. Hours later, Blake was the only one awake. Yang snored from her bunk. Weiss and Ruby both sound asleep in their respective beds. The time had come. She rose carefully, making as little noise as possible. Reaching under her bed, she pulled out a bag. She was only taking with her essential items. She couldn't afford to be slowed down by taking more. A single white envelope was left on her bed. She hoped they'd understand but even if they didn't, maybe it would give them some sort of closure.

Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she turned intent on leaving. She took a step when she just stopped. Glancing up at Yang's bed, her resolve wavered. This wasn't how she'd planned for it to be. She wanted nothing more than stay and let life take her wherever Yang and Team RWBY went, but…

Before she can give in to her desire, Blake swiftly exited the room, running as fast as she can. Away from her potential happiness, away from the person she'd only just admitted she loved. She'll regret this moment in her life but she also knows she'd regret it even more if she turned away the chance to help her people; to make a difference in the world. It's why she'd wanted to become a huntress to begin with. If she could somehow help her kind live in a better world then she'd do what she could.

Change demanded sacrifice. Those who were unwilling to sacrifice something could never hope to change anything.

"You came."

Blake looked around.

"Where are the others?"

"They've already gone ahead."

"You waited for me?"

"I had a feeling you'd be running a little late."

"Then let's catch up."

The two took off into the night. Unbeknownst to Blake, her letter had flown off her bed when she'd run from the room.

Yang stretched her muscles; a smile firmly on her lips. The night before seemed like a dream, one she hoped to never wake from. She hung over the edge of her bed in order to greet her partner.

"Rise and sh…." Yang stopped. The bed was empty.

Confused, she hopped down. Looking around the room, she tried to spot anything out of place. An unpleasant feeling begins to settle in her stomach. Ruby and Weiss stir from their slumber moments later.

"Morning Yang." Ruby sleepily rubs her eye.

"Morning sis." Yang greets happily, masking the worry she actually feels.

"Has Blake already gone to breakfast?" Weiss noticed immediately that Blake is missing.

"Probably." Yang answers. She shakes off her feelings of dread. Blake probably did go ahead. It wouldn't be the first time. If anything the black haired girl was probably in the library getting another book.

The trio completes their morning rituals and head off to breakfast. They don't find Blake. Instead, they come to find that many of their Faunus classmates have gone missing. The feelings Yang squashed come back in full force before realizing what it was Blake was saying to her the night before.

She was saying good-bye.

**xxx**

Ruby looked on in worry as Yang left the room. She was heading to the gym again. Lately, Yang didn't spend as much time in their dorm. On more than one occasion, Ruby had to gather her sister from the gym. The blonde would work herself until she collapsed from exhaustion. It was hard for Ruby to see Yang hurting so much and unable to do something about it.

"_Give her time."_ Weiss had said. Ruby wasn't very good at waiting but she understood that everyone grieved in their own way. She knew far too well about the process.

She looked away from the door to Weiss's bed. She was visiting her home again. The visits were becoming more frequent and with each visit Weiss looked more stressed. Something was up, she could feel it. Weiss though wasn't talking. Ruby tried to get the icy girl to open up to her, but Weiss kept insisting that the visits were only becoming more frequent because of an upcoming celebration. It didn't convince her. Ruby was frustrated. Things seem to be falling apart, Blake left and she couldn't help her sister much less her girlfriend.

Some leader she turned out to be. Resigning herself to doing homework, she began gathering what she needed.

"Oops."

She watched her pencil roll under Blake's bed. With a sigh, Ruby placed her arm full of books and papers on Weiss's bed. Looking under the bed for her lost pencil, she instead found something else. Ruby grabbed the white envelope. There was nothing written on it but she could tell something was inside. Unable to contain her curiosity, she ripped open the envelope. Her eyes quickly scanned the contents of the letter.

"Oh my god…."

It was from Blake. Telling them why she left.

"Ruby," the door to dorm opened but Ruby didn't even look up as Weiss walked in. "I just saw Yang heading for the gym. I think we need to be ready to go get her later."

When no response came, Weiss looked around the room for Ruby. She saw her sitting on the floor by Blake's bed.

"Ruby?"

The younger girls frame shook; the letter still firmly in her grasp. Worried, Weiss placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder. She was surprised when Ruby pulled her into a hug.

"R-Ruby? What's the matter?"

"Weiss…. Blake…. She….she…"

Ruby pulled away from Weiss and handed her the letter. Weiss took it and quickly read it herself. Her eyes widened the further she read.

"A Faunus….."

She dropped the letter. Ruby bent down to pick it up.

"Yang needs to read this."

Ruby didn't wait for a reply. She walked towards the gym; wondering if this letter would give Yang closure or break her more.

**xxx**

"Take it back!" Yang slammed Weiss against the door.

"Yang! Stop!"

The blonde didn't seem to hear her sister's please as she held Weiss against the door. It'd been weeks now since Blake had left and Yang had yet to move forward. Weiss had told Ruby to give her sister time, but this was going on for far too long. They needed to regroup and figure out what to do next as a team. Weiss hoped that they could get the process moving by removing Blake's bed from their room. She felt that having it there was only serving as a constant reminder of their missing team mate. Weiss had employed her girlfriend to help her, even if Ruby was reluctant to go through with it. The two successfully removed it from the room, but then Yang returned and things quickly went downhill. The conversation Weiss had planned dissolved into a shouting match of hateful words until Yang could no longer stand it.

"No." Weiss stubbornly held Yang's fiery gaze.

"You don't know anything about her." Yang growled.

"And neither do you." Weiss quickly countered.

"Is that why your family treats Faunus like animals?"

"Because they are." Weiss narrowed her eyes. "My family has been at war with them for generations Yang. Generations! Do you know how many family members I've lost to the White Fang? The stress it puts my father under? How difficult it was growing up with that? They deserve to be treated the way they are."

"It's people like you that drove them to that point. They have emotions too! They're not just a bunch of animals or any less human than us!" Yang yelled in frustration. "Blake has been our teammate, our friend all this time, does her being a Faunus really change who she is?"

Weiss stayed silent.

Their standoff would've continued had an explosion not knocked them all off their feet. Ruby felt herself hit the wall hard.

"W-what?" Ruby shakily stood up. Her ears were ringing from the explosion.

Focusing as best she could, she looked around for Weiss and Yang. The dust though made it very hard to see anything.

"Weiss! Yang!"

"Ruby!" Weiss called out.

Ruby never felt so relieved to hear Weiss's voice.

"Weiss! Follow my voice!"

It didn't take long For Weiss to reach her. The dust had somewhat settled, letting Ruby see the destruction. Their room was all but gone. There was a small sliver of floor that was still intact between her and where their door was. She'd been lucky she was still on that piece of floor.

"Where's Yang?" Weiss asked.

"I don't know but we have to find her!"

Weiss reached out to her girlfriend. Ruby took her hand as the two made their way to the hall. They needed to get out of the building and search for Yang before something else happened.

"Ruby!" Jaune and the rest of his team ran down the hallway. "Oh no, you're hurt!"

"Huh?"

Ruby reached up to feel her forehead. She was shocked to see her hand covered in blood. Pyrrha quickly helped Jaune bandage the younger girls head wound. Weiss stepped back to let them work. She reached up to her own shoulder and rubbed it. The pain hadn't really hit her until just then. It didn't feel dislocated so if anything it was probably just sore from the impact.

"Are you okay Weiss?" Ren questioned the icy girl.

"I'll be fine."

Ren shifted his eyes to Weiss's shoulder the back to her. The white haired girl just glared at him. Taking the hint, he simply nodded. If she said she was okay then he wouldn't push it.

"There." Jaune declared. "It should be okay until we can get you to the infirmary."

"Where's Yang?" Nora looked around for the blonde.

"W-we don't know." Ruby felt her eyes water. Yang had to be okay. Maybe the explosion had knocked her out of the building. There was no way the explosion had…

"Ruby!" Weiss shook the younger girl. Ruby's watery eyes focused on Weiss. "Listen to me. We'll find Yang, but I need you keep a clear head okay? You're still team leader and I need you."

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Ruby took a deep breath and nodded. Weiss was right. If she was going to find Yang, she couldn't break down now.

"Okay."

Another explosion shook the building.

"We need to get out of here." Pyrrha adised.

"She's right. If we stay here we're more likely to get killed. Let's go!" Ruby took off down the hall. Weiss and Team JNPR followed her. They could still hear explosion and the panicked screams of their classmates.

"What is going on?" Ren looked out the giant hallways windows. Smoke seemed to be coming from every direction.

"I don't know…." Ruby wished Yang was with her.

Just as they reach the exit to the courtyard, the entrance to the building collapsed behind Ruby and Weiss.

"Guys!" Ruby turned, hoping to help, but her eyes were quickly drawn to two Grimm that dropped down from out of nowhere.

Crescent Rose and Myrtenaster were drawn for battle. Before either of them could make a go at the Grimm, the two monsters simply fell over. Ruby and Weiss though, did not drop their weapons. Stepping past the two Grimm bodies was a tall imposing figure in armor with a helmet of a wolf.

"Fenrir!" Weiss exclaimed.

Alarmed, Ruby looked from Weiss and the armored figure.

"Miss Schnee, it's time."

"No." Weiss's grip on Myrtenaster tightened. "We have a deal. I earned this."

The armored figure drew a large sword. It was just as tall as the man and almost as wide.

"You are still too naïve Miss Schnee. You were given ample time to fool around but that time has passed. You have duties to fulfill to the Schnee family or have you forgotten?"

"I know what's expected of me and I don't plan to run from those responsibilities, but that doesn't change the fact that my time here is not over."

"You're father deems it time."

"That's not true. He said he'd let me prove to him…"

"He thinks you've become distracted."

"I have not."

"You've deviated from your path, Miss Schnee, because of a certain…. Distraction. The deal is null and void."

"I earned the right to be here!"

Ruby was shocked at how desperate, almost hysterical, Weiss sounded. She'd never heard that type of voice come from her girlfriend before.

"If you are referring to that farce of a battle then you are far more naïve than I thought you were."

"Farce? Farce?! What part of that was a farce! You call this scar I received as a result fake?!"

"Enough. Your father instructed me to retrieve you from this place and I will not fail."

"Are you the one responsible for this attack?" Ruby asked.

The armored figure noticed her for the first time. A shiver ran down Ruby's spine with the way he stared her down.

"No." He answered. "Someone else is responsible, but my only concern is Miss Schnee. Do not get involved. Now Miss Schnee, if you will…"

He stepped towards the two girls, but Weiss was not about to go without a fight. Switching the dust in Myrtenaster to red, she unleashed a stream flames at the armored man. Ruby quickly followed up by switching Crescent Rose to its sniper form and firing. She didn't know what kind of situation Weiss was in, but she would be damned if she just stood back and did nothing.

The armored man charged through the barrage of attacks, sword held in front of him almost like a shield. Weiss and Ruby quickly rolled out of the way of his charge. Ruby switched Crescent Rose back to a scythe.

"You will regret getting in my way."

He turns back to the pair; holding the large sword in front of him, he broke it into two smaller ones. He wastes no time in going after Ruby. The smaller girl though, was able to keep up with his speed, parrying and pushing back his assault. Weiss quickly switches to blue dust. She realized that Fenrir was trying to get rid of Ruby first. He knows that with her out of the way, he'll be able to take her.

"_I can't let that happen!"_

"Ruby!" Weiss yells before firing.

Ruby is in midair when Weiss fires. Not wanting to get caught in the ice, she switches Crescent Rose back into a sniper. Using the recoil, she is able to get enough height to avoid getting frozen with the armored man. Fenrir hears Weiss's yell. He knows what's coming. He joins his swords together into one and lifts the sword over his head, intent on striking Ruby. The ice hits him before he can strike. For a moment, both girls feel like they've won. Ruby once again switches Crescent Rose into a scythe as she lands in front of the man. She turns to Weiss.

"We won!" she smiles.

Crack.

Weiss's relieved smile turns to horror. Fenrir's ice prison shatters. Everything happened so fast yet so slow. Weiss tried to fire another ice shot to stop him, but she was too slow. She could only watch as Ruby turned back towards her opponent. She didn't even have time to raise Crescent Rose in defense. The sword came down on Ruby, blood splattering the ground. The ice hit its mark but it didn't matter anymore.

"RUBY!"

She ran to the red cloaked girl's side.

"RUBY! RUBY!" Weiss held the bleeding girl to her. The entire right side of her face was covered in blood. Somehow, nothing had been cut off, but a long gash ran down the right side of her body. She was losing blood. A lot of it. If she didn't get help soon, Ruby would surely die.

The ice behind her cracked again. Fenrir was free.

"I warned you."

Weiss saw the shadow of the sword above her. He intended to kill Ruby.

"STOP!"

"No. She will get in my way again."

Weiss laid Ruby back down. She stood up, arms spread out. Ruby would not die here. She would not allow Fenrir to take the only person she loved.

"I won't let you kill her!" Weiss sobbed. "You'll have to kill me first!"

"Miss Schnee. Move."

"NO! You just came for me right? If I go….please Fenrir. Let her live."

Fenrir sheathed his weapon. Without waiting, he grabbed Weiss and walked away. Ruby gains consciousness just to witness Weiss be taken away. She can only raise a bloodied hand as the armored figure disappears into the dust.

**xxx**

"Weiss!"

Ruby's hand shot up into the air. She quickly sat up from her bed; looking around frantically for the other girl. It took her a few moments to realize where she was. Ruby took a shaky breathe. She'd had that dream again. It'd been awhile since she'd dreamt about that particular day at Beacon. She was only a little bit glad she didn't dream about her mom this time. It wasn't much of an improvement though. Tossing the covers off to the side, Ruby got out of bed and walked towards a full body mirror. Looking into it, she could hardly recognize the girl staring back at her. There were some things that would never change about her, but she'd certainly grown from the person she once was.

Ruby pushed her hair off to the side revealing a scar that ran the length of her face before disappearing past her neck. It was a constant reminder of her failure as team leader; of being too weak to keep Weiss at her side. A sound from somewhere in the apartment broke her out of her increasingly dark thoughts.

"Fuck!"

It didn't take her much to guess it was probably Yang. Glancing over at the clock by her night stand she was surprised to see that it was 4am. Yang wasn't one to be up so early. Deciding it was best to investigate, she left her room.

"Damn it!" Yang hissed harshly.

"Yang?" Ruby called out from the darkness.

"Ruby?"

Ruby flicked the lights on. Yang had to close her eyes from the sudden brightness that took over the room. Ruby found herself having to do the same. Once her eyes adjusted, Ruby took note that Yang was on the floor of their living room next to their couch. The blonde gingerly rubbed her elbow. If she had to guess, Yang must've fallen off the couch. She began to recall the previous night's events. They drank for a bit before Yang and Nora started to get out of control. At that point, the group unanimously decided it was time for them to head home. Yang wanted to drive her bike back but no one would allow it. It took almost all of them to wrestle the keys out of Yang's hand. It was one of the few times Ruby cursed Yang's strength. Once the keys were securely in her grasp, Ruby promised Yang they'd return for the bike before calling a cab. She helped her sister up the stairs and into the apartment they shared. Yang though had all but fallen asleep against Ruby once they'd stepped through the door. As strong as Ruby was, Yang was still pretty heavy not to mention their height difference didn't help. Unable to drag her all the way to Yang's bedroom, she simply laid the blonde down on the couch before heading to bed herself.

"You okay?" Ruby sat down next to her.

Yang leaned back against the couch.

"Yeah, it just kind of stings." Yang rubbed her elbow one last time as she cast a glance at the glowing numbers of a clock. "Why are you up so early?"

"I heard you scream." She answered, a little too quickly in Yang's opinion. They sat quietly next to each other watching the numbers of the clock change painfully slow.

"I had a bad dream." Yang confessed.

Ruby turned slightly to look at Yang.

"Was it about…." Ruby let the question hang.

"Yeah." Yang answered quietly.

Ever since Beacon fell, the sisters rarely talked about what happened. They didn't want to bring up anything that would remind each other of what they'd lost. However, the subject couldn't always be avoided. This was one of those instances where avoiding it would just turn the situation awkward.

"Me too." Ruby finally admitted. She looked down at the hand that had once reached out desperately to Weiss and clasped it to her chest.

Yang knew if she hadn't conceded to it first, Ruby would not have either. Even when she was little, she'd never admit or talk about the dreams that plagued her after their mother's death. Ruby took it the hardest since she'd been closets to their mother. That's not to say Yang also didn't feel sorrow for what happened. She did. It just didn't hit her as hard. She hadn't lived with their mother since she was two. There were very little things she remembered about her. When Ruby first came to live with her and their father, she remembered thinking she looked so small and fragile. She didn't talk. She didn't smile. All the life seemed to have been sucked out of her. Then the nightmares began. Their father was at a loss at how to help his daughter, but Yang wasn't ever one to hesitate. After witnessing Ruby sitting in her bed, crying and unable to explain to anyone why, Yang made a promise to chase those dreams away. She didn't know how but she was going to try.

From then on, whenever Ruby awoke screaming in terror, Yang would be there by her side. Whispering soothing words; letting her know that she was not alone. She was there and always would be. For a time, Yang stopped sleeping in her room and instead bunked with Ruby. Eventually, the dreams began to fade and Ruby started coming back to life. The first time Ruby smiled, Yang had cried. She wasn't ashamed to admit it. She wept like a baby as she held Ruby to her, relieved that things were indeed getting better. The bad dreams never truly vanished, but it got better. Every now and then Ruby would slip into one, but she no longer let it cripple her.

Nightmares, it would seem, would always haunt her younger sister. She couldn't say she was any better. Those dreams of Beacon would never fade.

"I should have done more."

"Ruby…"

"NO! I know what you're going to say but its true! Had I been a better leader I would've noticed that Blake and Weiss had something eating away at them. I could have helped. _We_ could have helped."

"Don't blame yourself." Yang pulled Ruby into her arms. "It's not all your fault."

"But our team…"

"We'll always be a team no matter what. We may not be together now but that doesn't mean we won't be in the future."

"Do you really believe that?"

Yang stayed silent for a moment. On some days she couldn't help but think that she was being a fool for thinking that everything was going to turn out okay. Those kinds of days were hard to get through, but then she'd think of Ruby; her little sister whom she almost lost. That day she'd been separated from her and Weiss. The explosion knocked her down to the next floor. She'd almost been buried under rubble but she managed to blast her way to freedom. She found Ruby, bloodied and, for moment, she thought it'd been too late. It took Ruby almost dying to snap her out of her depression. To remind her of what she needed to do.

Then she'd think of a certain heiress who was a prisoner in her own home; fighting her battle alone against her family. Inevitably, she'd think about a Faunus girl who was fighting a battle against the world for the right to exist. Remembering them gave her the strength she needed to keep believing in the good things that had yet to come. It's like Nora said. Things could only get better.

"I have to. We have to. If we stop now, we'll never reach them and we can't let that happen."

Ruby absorbed Yang's words. Really. She had the best sister in the world. No matter how old she got, Yang's reassurance was something she couldn't go without.

"Thanks sis." Ruby returned Yang's hug.

"Anytime. Now, what do you say we get ourselves back to bed? It's way too early to be up."

Ruby couldn't help but agree. Maybe this time, she'd be able to sleep without any bad dreams.

**AN:** I've got to work on my action scenes more. They were always a weakness for me. Well, that's it for now. Reviews and pretty much any comments are appreciated.


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